Continuous kiln and drier



May 10 1 Filed Feb. 21. 1920 s Sheets-Sheet i wvmtoz May 10, i927.1,627,841

.cf DRESSLER CONTINUOUS KILN AND DRIER Filed Feb. 21-. 1920 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Q .yq R

5 I P: "Q Q n 2 W 5mm May 10 1927.

. 1,627,841 C. DRESSLER CONTIN UOUS KILN AND DRIER Filed Feb. 21 1920 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @51 W abtoww,

Patented 'lillay 10, 1927.

UNITEDSTATES CONRAD nnnssnnn, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN DRESSLEB TUN- NEL'FKILNS, INQ, OI!- NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF- NEW YORK.

con'rmuous xmn Ann nan-2a.

Application filed February 21, 1920. Serial No. 330,505.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide a novel andefiectlve combination of a continuous kiln with a drying chamber, andparticularly with a continuous dryingchamber, whereby brick or othermaterial to be dried and then subjected to a temperature much higherthan the drying temperature, may be passed first thr ugh the dryingchamber and then. through he kiln proper, and the necessary heat for thedrying operation may be, in whole or in large part, waste heat from thekllIl proper.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,

, however,and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had tothe accompanying 0 drawings and descriptive matter in which I haveillustrated. and describedpreferred embodiments of my invention.

' Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan with parts broken away' and in section ofa mufileheated kiln and drier;

Fig. 2 is atemperature or diagram charts'howing the character of ;thetemperature gradations which are 'desiredflin thedr ers; is a transversesectionon the line 133ofl:'!ig.1;'v 4

Fig. .4' is a transversesection on; the line FA, 'the car may be pushedinto the kiln G 1 44 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 5 is. adiagrammatic plan with parts broken away"and in section of acombina-' 'tion open fire heated kiln anddrier';

- Figs. 6', -7, 8, 9, 1O and-'11 are-transverse sections takenon thelines 6'6, 7' 7, 8-18, 99, lO 10 and 1111 of Fig. 5.

In Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, I have illustratedapparatusespecially devised for drying and burning brick in which'thebrickaredried in an elongated drying chamber B and are then burnedin anelongated mutfie heated kiln C. The brick are carried through the dryingchamber B and'kiln C on cars A which enter the drying chamber B at oneend of the latter past doors B and pass through the chamber B on thetrack rails B at the bottom of the latter; At the exit end of the.drying chamber B,'the1atter is connected to the adjacent end .of thekiln C, which in this form of my inventionis arranged alongside thedrying chamber, by a transverse covered passage D. The cars A,

entered one at a time in the chamber B, are

pushed into the latter by a car pusher E which may be of the usual formemployed in pushing cars into and through tunnel kilns. At eachoperation of the pusher E, a car is pushed into the drying chamber, andthe train of cars normally filling the chamber is advanced one carlength. As each of these cars A is brought to the exit end of thechamber B it is engaged by a car puller G which centers it on aturntable F. The latter is provided with two sets of track rails F whichare arranged at right angles to one another so that one set may registerwith the track rails B while the other-set registers with the trackrails D of the chamber D. In consequence, when a car is centered on aturntable F and the latter is given onefourth of a turn, the car may bepushed off the turntable on to the rails D and the turntable is left inposition toreceive a subsequent car from the drying chamber 'B. The

cars are pushed off the turntable F and through the chamberD by a pusherE At the-junction of the passage D with the adjacent end of the kiln Ois located a turntable FA which may be identical in construction to theturntable F and has associated with it a car puller G for drawing a carfrom the ad acent end of the passage D and centering it onthe turntableFA, and a pusher E by which, after a quarter turn of the turntable1,023,628 and 1,170,428. The kiln comprises a cooling zone with coolingpipes H at the sides of the pathway for the goods, 9. hot zone withcombustion chambers I at the sides of'the goodspathway, and a heatingupzone at the end adjacent the. turntable FA with pipes J at the sides ofthe goods pathway. The cooling fluid passing through the pipes H is airs'uppliedby a fan or blower L and a conduit opening through ports L tothe headers into which the ends of the pipes H adjacent the exit end ofthe kiln are connected. portion of the air passing through the pipes His passed into combustion chamber 1 through ports K and a portion of theair heated in the pipes is passed to the drier through pipes H (see Fig.3) resting upon the roof of, and extending longitudinally of the kiln Cfor a considerable portion of its length. The air supply ports K andfuel gas supply connections K open into the combustion chambers I at theends of the latter adjacent the exit end of the kiln. The combustionchambers I as shown are of the type commonly employed in Dressler tunnelkilns, the walls of each combustion chamber being formed of hollow tile.The passages I in the combustion chamber walls are open ended so thatthe current of the kiln atmosphere may flow upward past the combustionchambers through these passages and then downward through the goodscarry.- ing space. The pipes J pass the products of combustion,delivered to them from the combustion chambers I, through ports J and atransverse conduit J to a conduit N running longitudinally of the dryingchamber and shown as arranged between the track rails B of the dryingchamber. The conduit N'may well be made of galvanized iron or other goodheat conducting" material. The products of combustion ar'e'drawn out ofthe conduit N and delivered to the atmosphere by an exhaust fan NAlocated adjacent the entrance end of the drying chamber B and serving toregulate the draft through the combustion chambers I and the pipes andconduit connections connecting these chambers to the exhaust fan NA.

To prevent overheating of the goods carrying cars A and the track railsfor the latter, the usual cooling pipes M are arranged at the sides ofthe pathway for the cars through the high temperature portion of thekiln C. As shown, these pipes M are supplied with air by the blower Lthrough. the conduit L which is advantageously provided with aregulating valve-L The pipes H which, as before stated, rest upon theroof of the kiln C for the major portion of the length of the latter,may advantageously be buried in the kiese'lguhr or other heat insulatingmaterial covering the roof proper of the kiln. cent the transversepassage D, the two pipes H are connected to a conduit H which isconnected in turn to suitably insulated hot air pipes 0 located atopposite sides of the drying chamber A. The outlet connection M from thecar cooling pipes M also delivers hot air into the conduit H.

The conduits O are provided with outlets 0 opening into the interior ofthe drying chamber at intervals along the length of the major portion ofthe latter, except for a portion adjacent its inlet end. This lastmentioned portion forms a mild warming or initial heating zone which isheated by the corresponding portion of the conduit N supplemented whennecessary in the At their ends adj aconstruction illustrated by theheating effect of a set of internal heating pipes 0", at each side ofthe pathway for the goods, which receive air from the correspondingpipes 0, each through a connection ()9 and in an amount determined bythe setting of the damper 0 The air passing through the pipes Gultimately passes. to the atmos here thru the outlets 0' Each outlet 1to the interior of the drying chamber is preferably provided with aregulatingdamper O and with an air inlet passage 0 through whichatmospheric air may be drawn into the drying chamber in amountsdependent on the setting of a damper 0". To avoid concentrated jetdeliveries of air to the drying chamber, each outlet 0 isconnectedwithin the chamber to a correratus shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 thebrick i' or other material to be dried are preferably heated in theirpassage thru the drying chamber B in a uniform manner as indicated bythe temperature curve of. Fig. 2, from the entrance atmospherictemperature of say'7 5 F., to an exit temperature of say 500 F. Duringthe passage of the brick thru the initial heating-up zone of the dryingchamber B, the brick are subjected to a gradual warming action attendedwith little drying, because the walls of the drying chamber fit closelyaround the sides of the goods as shown in Fig. 4, so that there is butsmall convection current or other circulation of the kiln atmosphere.With the slight air circulation in this portion of the drying chamber,its drying action is comparatively slight. This is important, as surfacedrying of the brick while their interiors are still cold inevitablyresults in considerable breakage or cracking of the brick.

As the brick pass through the section of the drying chamber into whichthe outlets 0 from the pipes O discharge'hot air, the brick or othermaterial is heated both directly by' the air thus admitted and also bythe heat derived from the conduit N. The air passing upward through thedrying chamber and to a certain extent longitudinally thereof from thepipes O. to the outlets B absorbs moisture from the brick. The extent ofthe drying action of this air is dependent both on the temperature ofthe air and on its volume. The volume of air is controlled inthermostats P. Each of the latter opens and closes the damperscontrolled by it, accordingly as the temperature to which the thermostatis exposed rises above, or falls below, a predetermined temperature. Thedesired heating and drying effect is one which will not only bring aboutthe desired increase in temperature of the brick as indicated in thetemperature chart, Fig. 2, but will insure the proper rate of drying. Asthe temperature of the brick rises and the drying operation progresses,the drying action may advantageously become more and more energetic. Thecontrol of the air supplied to the drying chamber described, obviouslypermits of any desired regulation of the heating and drying operation.

My present invention is not restricted to use in apparatus in which thekiln is a muflle heated kiln, and in Figs. to 11, I have illustrated aplant especially devised for-drying and burnmg brick in which the brickare burned in a kiln comprising an open fire heated high temperaturezone. In this embodiment of'my invention the drying chamber BB is inalignment with and forms a direct extension of the kiln CC, and thebrick carrying cars AA enters the drying chamber BB at the entrance vendB and passes first through the drying chamber and then through the kilnon track rails (1 which run from the entrance end of the drying chamberto the exit end C of the kiln. In passing through the final or coolingportion of the kiln chamber, the bricks are cooled by atmospheric airdrawn in through the open end C of the kiln chamber and drawn ofi' fromthe roof of the cooling zone section of the kiln at intervals along thelength of the latter through outlet ports 0 which are connected toconduits Q, supported on the roof of the kiln chamber and which supplyair to the drying chamber BB as hereinafter described.

The portion of the kiln chamber above the pathway for the goods in thegoods cooling chamber is divided into a series of compartments open attheir lower ends by,

The

transverse partitions or barriers C partitions or barriers C extend intoclose proximity with the stack, of brick on the cars AA. The one ofthese compartments closest to the furnace zone of the kiln is connectedby passages C to tunnels or conduits C at the opposite sides of thekiln. Blowers Q drawing air from the pipes Q, blow the air thus drawnthrough pipes Q and Q into the adjacent ends of the conduits C The jetof air discharged into the ends-of the conduit C by the pipes Q exerta-suction efl'ect whichcauSes hot air to be drawn downward through thevertical passage C and delivered to the passages C. At intervals alongthe length of the high temperature zone of the-kiln, burner chambers Care provided in the side Walls of the kiln. These'receive air from thepassages C each through a corresponding branch supply passage 0 Eachchamber (1 receives fuel gas through a supply e011- nection R controlledby a valve R from a corresponding gas supply passage R one at eachside-of the kiln.

The gas supply passages R are connected to a gas supply source R whichmay be a gas holder or a producer. Each burner chamber (1 opens to theinterior of the kiln chamber through a burner nozzle S, advantageouslyformed of carborundum or other highly refractory material and tapered.and disposed so as to direct the burning jet into the kiln chamber atthe level of the passages A preferably formed'at the tops of thecarsAA-and' open at their upper side to the interstices in the stack ofbrick mounted on the cars. -Advantageously, the passages A which may beformed in the permanent portions of the cars or in the brick stacks, arearranged herringbone fashion, with each passage parallel 'to thedirection of the jets discharged by the corresponding burner nozzles Sand inclined at in construction to the combustion chambers I prevlouslydescrlbed, and each isfconnected at its end adjacent to the dryingchamber to a set of-pipes JA. These pipes JA are connected at their endsadjacent the drying chamber by passages J to a conduit NB which runsalong the bottom of -'the drying chamber BB between the track rails andis connected at the entrance end of the chamber BB by a transversepassage NB to a fan NC delivering products of combustion to a stack N 9.

The drying chamber BB may be supplied Wit-h heated air in a mannerexactly analogous to that in which the chamber B first described issupplied with hot air. The supply pipes O which correspond to the pipe-0 of the construction first described, are connected to theoutlets ofthe fans QA which draw air from the pipes Q and also from the carcooling pipes MA. The pipes 0 discharge air into the drying chamber BBthrough outlets 0 having controlling dampers O and cold air inlets 0 controlled by dampers O as in the construction first described. The dampers.0 may be antomatically adjusted as in the construction first describedby the thermostats P located in the roof outlets B of the dryingchamber. The distribution pipes O in this construction preferably havetheir discharge orifices inclined to the kiln axis as are the orifices.I

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same effectiveuse is made, in the drier of the apparatus shown in Figs. 5 to 11, ofthe heat recovered in the kiln in cooling the brick and in cooling thebrick carrying cars and trackway, and of the available heat in theproducts of combustion as in the construction first described. Theprovision of the chambers IA overcomes in part a characteristicdisadvantage .of a simple open fire heated kiln as compared with amuffle heated Dressler kiln, by insuring a more uniform and gradualheating up of the goods than is possible of attainment in the heating upsection of a simple open fire heated kiln. The open ended passage P inthe chambers IA causes a direct and substantial flow of the kilnatmosphere upward thru these passages along the chambers IA with areturn downward flow thru the pathway for the brick which minimizesdiflerences in temperature between the upper and lower ends of thestacks of brick, which differences These parts and other novelfeaturesof the burning kiln C disclosed but not claimed herein are claimed in my"application Serial No. 407,116 filed August 31, 1920, as a division ofthis application. I

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me,it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that changes may be madein the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of myinvention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some casescertain features of my invention may be used to advantage without acorresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. Brick drying and heating apparatus comprising in combination, a fireheated tunnel kiln in which the brick are burned, and a drying chamberin which the brick are dried, means for utilizing products of combustion from the tunnel kiln in heating the drying chamber, means forcooling the brick and brick transporting means in the tunnelkiln by theuse of air thereby heated and .means for injecting the air thus heatedinto through a high temperature portion of the kiln to cool the goodstransporting means,

of a continuous drier having its exit end connected to the. entrance endof the kiln, a heat radiating conduit in the drier, provisions forpassing the products of combustion formed in heating the kiln, into saidconduit, and provisions for injecting air from both of said streams intothe drier at distributed points along the length of the latter.

3. In a continuous drier, the combination with an elongated chamberhaving an entrance portion restricted to minimize circulation of thedrying chamber atmosphere about the goods in saidportion, a heatradiating conduit, heating said portion of the chamber, means forinjecting heated air into a subsequent portion of the drying chamber,and outlets from said subsequent portion of the drying chamber formoisture laden air. 4. In a continuous drier, the combination with anelongated kiln chamber, having an entrance portion restricted tominimize circulation of the drying chamber atmosphere about the goods insaid portion, a heat radiating conduit heating said portion of thechamber, means for injecting heated air into a subsequent portion of thedrying chamber, outlets from said subseguent ortion of thc dryingchamber for moisture aden air, and thermostatic means responsive to thetemperatures in each of said outlets, for regulating the amount ofheated air injected into a preceding portion of the drier.-

5. The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln comprising fuel burningprovision for heating a high temperature portlon of the kiln and meansfor creating a flow of air through a portion of the kiln adjacent itsexit end to cool the goods passing through the lastmentioned kilnportion, of a goods drier, means for passing a portion of the airconstituting said flow of air to the fuel burning provisions and forpassing the balance to said drier, and thermostatic means for mixingcold air with the last mentioned air.

6. In a continuous drier, the combination With an elongated dryingchamber, of means for injecting heated air into the drying chamber atintervals along the length ofthe latter and for regulating thetemperature of the air injected comprising asu ply, conduit extendinglongitudinally of the drying chamber, connections between said conduitand chamber, said connections being pro-..

vided with inlets for atmospheric air, and

means regulating the influx of atmospheric air into said connectionsthrough said inlets.

7. In a continuous drier, the combination with an elongated dryingchamber provided with outlets for moisture ladenair distributed alongits len h, of means for injecting heated air into t e drying chamber atintervals along the length of the latter and for regulating thetemperature of the air injected, sa d means comprising a supply conduitextending longitudinally of the drying chamber, connections between saidconduit and chamber distributed along the length of said chamber andeach formed with an inlet for atmospheric air, danipers regulating theinflux. of atmospheric 'air into said connections through said inletsand thermostatic means responsive to the temperature in each of saidoutlets for regulating the adjustment or a correspondin one of saiddampers.

Signed at New ork in the county of New York and State of New York this16th day 30 of February, A.1D. 1920.

. CONRAD DRESSLER.

